The piano piece finally ended, and the guests applauded.
Of course, this wasn't because he thought Tina played well, but rather to flatter her father, Jody.
Jody's face was pale, and her smile was forced. She went to Tina's side, grabbed her wrist, and pulled her up.
"Tina, I think you must be tired. Go upstairs and rest!"
"No! Daddy, all my friends are here, I'm going to find them!" Tina raised her voice.
A flash of anger crossed Jody's eyes, but with so many guests present, he could only manage a smile:
"Alright! Then go find your friend!"
Tina's face lit up with joy, and she immediately lifted her large skirt and ran away.
Jody immediately shouted, "Tina! Slow down, be careful not to fall!"
Tina's smile slowly faded, then she lowered her skirt and gracefully walked away with small steps.
This was a minor incident that ended with Tina's departure. Jody went upstairs, leaving only a group of Erin to entertain the guests.
Lu Qing asked Gu Xicheng in a low voice:
"Was the real Eileen dignified, elegant, and able to play the piano?"
Gu Xicheng nodded slightly: "Yes, Eileen was once a student of the Yax Music Academy. If she were still alive, she would definitely have a place in the piano world today."
Lu Qing: "But it seems that her daughter did not inherit the talent for the piano."
Although Tina has a face that is 90% similar to Eileen's, her personality seems to be more lively.
"Is Jody's attitude towards Tina an attempt to mold her into someone like Eileen?" Lu Qing asked.
Gu Xicheng smiled and said:
"Perhaps! Jody has always been very strict with Tina, even back in school. But Tina only appears to be obedient; she's actually quite rebellious in private."
Lu Qing sensed something was off about Gu Xicheng's tone when he mentioned Tina:
Are you very familiar with this Tina?
"Um..." Just as Gu Xicheng was thinking about how to answer, Tina suddenly walked over and smiled:
"Gu Xicheng, it's been a long time!"
Tina immediately tried to kiss Gu Xicheng, but Gu Xicheng quickly stepped back and refused.
“Tina, as I’ve said before, in my country, a handshake is the proper way to greet someone.”
"You're still so clueless about romance!" Tina said helplessly, extending her hand.
Gu Xicheng only touched her hand lightly before withdrawing it, which was his polite greeting.
Tina looked at Lu Qing and, before Lu Qing could react, pounced on her and gave her two quick kisses on the cheek.
"Gu Xicheng, if I can't kiss you, then I can at least kiss your fiancée, right?"
This action made Lu Qing blush.
Seeing this, Tina covered her mouth and chuckled:
"Don't be so surprised. A kiss is just my way of greeting you. I'm a girl, and you're a girl too. I don't think anyone will be jealous if I kiss you!"
Tina's words were clearly directed at Gu Xicheng.
Gu Xicheng didn't say anything, but silently took out a tissue to wipe Lu Qing's face, expressing his disgust.
Tina didn't mind his behavior at all; on the contrary, she laughed even more happily.
"What's your name?" Tina asked Lu Qing.
Lu Qing replied politely, "Hello, my name is Lu Qing."
"My name is Tina, you should already know that!"
"Lu Qing, you are so beautiful, no wonder Gu Xicheng likes you!"
Tina's eyes were full of sincerity when she looked at Lu Qing; she was genuinely praising him.
“I wrote countless love letters to Gu Xicheng and pursued him for a long time, but he never agreed to date me. I didn’t know why before, but now that I see you, I understand. He likes girls like you!”
Hearing this, Lu Qing looked at Gu Xicheng with a long, quiet gaze:
"Did she pursue you before?"
Gu Xicheng coughed lightly and said, "I... I don't remember very clearly."
Lu Qing: "Really?"
Tina: "Lu Qing, I think he probably really doesn't remember. After all, there were so many girls chasing after him back then, and I was just one of them."
“Some girls even climbed into his bed, but he didn’t even glance at them. He was so scared that he moved out of the school dormitory.”
The more Tina spoke, the darker Gu Xicheng's face became.
"Stop!!!" Gu Xicheng stopped her:
"Tina, let's not talk about the past. Weren't you going to see your friend? Why aren't you there yet?"
Tina sighed and said:
“I don’t have any friends! I was just lying to my dad, otherwise he would have locked me in my room to practice piano again.”
"Today is your coming-of-age ceremony, and he's still forcing you to practice piano?" Lu Qing asked, frowning.
Tina lowered her head and replied sullenly:
"Yes! I shouldn't have been able to, but I got distracted while playing the piano and didn't play well. Dad will definitely force me to go back and practice."
"So I told everyone that I was going to visit my friend. My dad cares about his image, so he'll definitely let me go."
"I really don't understand why Dad insists that I do things just as well as Mom does, even though I look a lot like her. But I'm not Mom, and I've never even met her!"
Lu Qing pointed to those Ailins and said:
"Aren't those bionic robots made by your dad based on everything your mom does? They should look a lot like your mom!"
Tina looked at Eileen, then shook her head vigorously:
"No, no! They're not the real Erin!"
"Although it looks just like a real person, a fake is a fake, and a fake can never become real."
At this point, Tina's mood dipped for a moment, but she quickly regained her smile:
"Let's not talk about that. I have a Black Forest cake made by a world-class pastry chef. Would you like to try it?"
Lu Qing's curiosity was piqued, and her eyes lit up:
"A cake made by a top pastry chef?"
Tina: "Yes! It's especially delicious!"
Lu Qing looked at Gu Xicheng and smiled, "I want to try it."
Gu Xicheng nodded indulgently: "Okay, I'll go with you."
Tina led the two away from the banquet hall.
After they left, a girl named Erin suddenly appeared where they had just been, tilting her head and looking in the direction they had left, her eyes seemingly full of doubt.
"Can something fake never become real...?"
In the room, Tina brought out a delicate little Black Forest cake for Gu Xicheng and Lu Qing.
This cake was unlike any Lu Qing had ever eaten before. It smelled very sweet, but it wasn't overly sweet when she ate it.
After taking just one bite, Lu Qing's eyes became sparkling.
Those who know her well know that she only makes that expression when she's eating something particularly delicious.
"This cake is so delicious!" Lu Qing praised repeatedly.
"If it's delicious, you can have it all. Anyway, my dad doesn't let me eat too much," Tina said with a smile.
Lu Qing was taken aback for a moment and asked, "Does your father even control how much you eat?"
Tina shrugged helplessly.
"There's nothing I can do, my mom just doesn't like sweets!"
"My dad has been controlling my weight so that I look more like my mom and he doesn't let me get fat, otherwise I won't look like my mom anymore."
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